Naslov
Sustainability of Nuclear Fuel Resources

Autori
Pevec, Dubravko ; Knapp, Vladimir ; Trontl, Krešimir

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Izvornik
BIT'S 2nd New Energy Forum-2012 / - , 2012, 212-212

Skup
BIT'S 2nd Low Carbon Earth Summit-2012

Mjesto i datum
Guangzhou, Kina, 19.10.2012. - 21.10.2012

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Pozvano predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
uranium; nuclear fuel resources; nuclear capacity growth

Sažetak
For analysis of uranium resources sustainability it is necessary to estimate the amount of uranium that will ultimately prove to be economically recoverable. It depends on geologic parameters, as well as on development in technologies of exploration, extraction, and use. This total recoverable amount of uranium can be determined from first principles by summarizing estimates of the abundance of uranium in the crust of the earth as a function of concentration and accessibility. Based on a simple crustal geochemistry model the total amount of uranium recoverable to the end of century at price of 180 USD/kg U is estimated to 50 million tonnes. Potential technologies for improved nuclear fuel utilization (thermal and fast breeder reactors, thorium based fuel cycle, and conversion of uranium or thorium by particle accelerators) are analyzed in order to assess sustainability of nuclear fuel resources. Very important aspect of long term sustainability of nuclear fuel resources are scenarios for an overall nuclear capacity growth. Various scenarios have been used to estimate exhaustion time periods of nuclear fuel resources for different fuel utilization technologies. It may be concluded that nuclear fuel resources will not be a constraint for long term nuclear power development, even if the use of nuclear power is aggressively expanded.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Elektrotehnika

POVEZANOST RADA